Earthling Project Part 2
by Lucy McGonagle
Summary: Same as before, only where we left off...please r and r. :


Hey, there Lyoko fans. Sorry I took so long to stick this up. I hope you enjoy this, and there is still more too come.

Disclaim-I don't own C.L., or the song 'The One I Love', by the Rasmis, but I do only the character Gilis.

Chapter 10 (Jeremie)

I was in a wonderful shock. Me, Jeremie, computer geek of Kadic High, had just kissed the girl of my dreams. Oh, and there was another thing: she loved me!

Yeah, yeah, I know: I sound about ten years old. Do I care?

Nope.

Back to the dance. Ten minutes later, the five of us-me Aelita, Odd, Ulrich and Yumi-were in the middle of the gym/dance floor, doing God knows what. A new, hard rock song had just came on. Odd was break-dancing, Ulric and Yumi were mosh-pitting, and Aelita…she was just dancing. It was almost strange to see her dance. So graceful, like a cat, only different, though in a way I can't describe. And me? Doing the only dance I knew.

Right then, Aelita grabbed my hand. I looked at her, to see a huge smile on her face. God, she was beautiful.

"C'mon, Jeremie!" She said over the music, laughing. "Do you wanna spin a bit?" I nodded, and hoping that I wouldn't fall over, took her other hand, and began to spin her around. Then, I made a discovery: this was easy!

Aelita began to laugh, and then so did I. As we whirled in a tight circle, the lyrics to the song that was playing suddenly seemed to come into my head.

"_The one I love, takin' me down my dreams, drowning me in my sleep, over and over again, back in the unknown…" _I felt myself stumble, and heard Aelita's startled cry.

"_Can not sleep, can not think, my head's like a bomb, still waiting-"_

"Jeremie! What's wrong?"

"_Take my heart, and take my soul, I don't need them anymore…the one I love, haunting me in my dreams, tearing me in my sleep, over and over again-"_

"Jeremie! Answer me, please!"

The last thing I saw was Aelita's face, scared and confused, before I fell into blackness.

My eyes snapped open. I didn't know what had just happened, only that I seemed to be alone. Without moving, I tried to check my surroundings. I was laying on something, something hard-like stone. There was a quiet sound of dripping water coming from somewhere. A grayish light filled the chamber, and I sat up.

Immediately, a soft chuckle emitted from a corner of the stone room I was in. I whirled, and my breath caught in my throat: it was the Aelita. The evil Aelita. She wore the same dress she had in my dream (was this a dream? I couldn't tell). But this time, I wouldn't be fooled. There was a darkness practically oozing from the figure.

"Jeremie," the creature purred softly. I glared.

"Don't try to fool me again, X.A.N.A.," I snapped. "Though I can forget some things', I wouldn't forget you."

My enemy smiled. "You remember me, Jeremie? Why, I'm touched."

"Yeah, in the head," I retorted. "Just let me go, alright? What do you gain by keeping me here, huh?" I should have shut up. The next second, needle-sharp pain shot thru my head, and I yelped, but then it was gone again.

The thing smiled. '"Agony in the strangest package', human." The words sounded familiar. Suddenly, I realized, and jumped off the table, trying to find a way out, with only one word in my mind: Aelita.

The imposter laughed, peals of evil that echoed almost painfully in my ears. "You really do love her, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, it/she went on. "Don't worry, Jeremie. Your precious princess is safe, as are those stupid friends of yours. Only you, Jeremie, have caught my eye."

"I'm hardly honored," I spat, furious. " What do you want, X.A.N.A.?"

"X.A.N.A.?" She echoed, and began to laugh again. "Is that the only evil you think exists in the two worlds of Earth and Lyoko? I am but a creation of X.A.N.A., not the master himself. You, young Jeremie, may call me Gilis. Your Aelita will know what it means." The creature-Gilis-smiled again, and this time, it carried an almost human expression. "Love to your kind, is the best thing in the world. But," the infinitely empty black eyes flashed-"it can also be used as a weapon. A weapon that can cause more pain than any thing physical." The smile turned cruel. "Watch who you love, Jeremie. You are much cleverer than most of your kind, when you wish to act it." The figure held up a hand: imprinted on it was the X.A.N.A. symbol. _Also Aelita's sign, _said a voice in my mind.

"That symbol isn't yours to hold," I snared, and Gilis's smile widened.

"That remains to be seen, doesn't it, Jeremie?" She closed the hand, then nodded toward the wall on my right. "I would gladly hold you here, if you wish to discuss it." Then she smirked. "Then your friends and your darling Aelita would come to save you. Instead, you would be leading them to their death. It would be perfect for me, having my master's largest enemy die watching her lover struggle against me. Look there, human." I did, and heard myself cry out in sorrow at the scene suddenly displayed there.

Aelita lay on a table, dressed in white, lovely face ghostly, eyes closed. Even the pink of her hair seemed muted somehow. She was dead.

"NO!" I ran to the wall, trying to stop the image, to wake her up, to somehow prove to myself that she wasn't dead. "Aelita, Aelita wake up. Please wake up." I pounded at the wall, feeling lost, like a child. I was barely aware of the tears on my face.

Suddenly, I heard Gilis screech, and whirled around. A pink-red mist was surrounding her, and I swear I heard singing. A soft female voice, using words I couldn't understand.

Then-

"Jeremie! Jeremie, wake up."

I opened my eyes.

Frightened black eyes topped with dark pink eyebrows stared into mine. Then came the almost-deafening cry of joy.

"JEREMIE! Yumi! Odd! Ulrich! He's awake!" The next second, I found myself be hugged tightly by Aelita. (My face suddenly felt as if it was on fire as she did so.) When she finally pulled away, I saw that she was shaking, and there were tears on her cheeks.

"I thought…oh, Jeremie…" her voice shook, and another tear dropped.

"Shhhh…" Pulling her to me, I wiped the tears off, and wrapped my arms around her. She was alive. "I'm here, sweet. Everything's gonna be alright."

"Dude, Einstein, what the heck happened?" asked Odd, who had suddenly appeared at the doorway with the other two. (I had just realized I was in the school infirmary.) "Are you okay?"

I nodded, feeling better. "I don't know what happened. But I did have-"

"It was like, one second you were dancing, and the next second, you were out cold on the gym floor," Yumi said, still looking nervous.

Ulrich nodded. "You freaked everybody out, man," he admitted. "You've been out for about five hours."

I gaped at him. "Five? Five hours?" All four of them nodded. Aelita, who was now sitting next to me on the bed, staring at me intently, added softly:

"We feared you had been some how attacked."

I sighed. "I was."

"WHAT!" shouted the four.

"By X.A.-I mean, you know who?" Odd asked, checking out the doorway just to see no one was listening.

"No," I said softly. "By a soldier of him. The same one who…tricked me in that one dream."

"The evil Aelita?" Yumi asked, and I nodded.

"She-it-whatever, said it's name was Gilis." Aelita's eyes widened.

"G-Gilis, did you say?" she asked, looking fearful. I nodded again.

"She said you would know what it meant."

The Princess sighed, and shuddered slightly. "Shadow," she whispered. "Gilis means shadow in my old language. It was legend that Gilis was a shape-shifter who would take the form-" she blushed slightly -"of the one the victim loved the most." I smiled and put an arm around her.

"Well, that's the only thing X.A.N.A. hasn't lied about," I told her. Odd made a gagging noise, and I looked up in time to see Yumi hit him on the head. Ulrich snorted; Aelita giggled; suddenly I felt as if a load has been taken off my shoulders. I smiled.

"Odd, you're never gonna get a girl if you hate love so much," I remarked. Odd made a face.

"Ahhh, who need 'em- Kidding!"

"Charge!" shouted Yumi, and she and Aelita dove at Odd, intent on pay back. Ulrich and I looked at each other.

"She's your girlfriend," we said in unison. A burst of laughter came from the hallway that Yumi, Aelita and Odd had just entered.

"JINX!" Bellowed Odd, bounding back into the room, followed by a blushing Yumi, and Aelita, who was smiling. Behind them, the nurse, Dorothy, entered, shaking her head.

"I don't know how you get a moments rest," she told me as she checked my pulse. "Well, you seem alright now. No dizziness or nausea? No? Good. I guess you are free to go. Remember to talk to me if you feel ill at all."

I nodded, and followed my friends out, putting the vision of Gilis to the back of my mind.

Chapter 11. Aelita

Gilis…a name that was used mostly to frighten new ones in Lyoko, something like a virtual, shape-shifting bogie man. I could not believe that a creature such as that would even think of submitting under X.A.N.A. But now that it had, I knew we were in a whole lot of trouble.

Even as the five of us sat in Ulrich and Odd's room, I knew something would have to be done, and soon. I'd have to go back to Lyoko.

"Aelita? Are you okay?" I smiled slightly at Odd, who had spoken.

"Yes, Odd, I'm alright. Just-shaken." Odd nodded.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised. You were pretty freaked when Einstein lost it. I mean, we all were but, still…I think that's the first time I've ever seen you cry."

"If course it is, you idiot," Yumi said, and swiveled around in Ulrich's chair to face her purple clad friend. "Number one, she can't cry in Lyoko, and number two, she loves the boy." My face went red.

"Nice that the whole world knows," I muttered. Yumi grinned.

"I told you it was obvious!" Jeremie, who had been looking at a book on Odd's dresser, laughed, and came to sit down.

"Now you know how I felt," he told me, putting an arm around me. "I swear, from day one, these three could tell…that…well, you know…" he blushed.

"Yeah, and the fact that you talk in your sleep," Ulrich said, and grinned wickedly. The next second, he put his hand on his heart, and danced around the room going: "Oh, Aelita, oh Aelita, you're in my dreams, you're so amazing, blah blah blah, oh Aelita-"

"Stop it, man, before Einstein's face burns up," Odd said, grinning. Yumi cackled evilly.

"Remind me never to sleep in your room when Aelita's in Lyoko, Jeremie," she told him. I giggled, then kissed a very red Jeremie on the cheek.

"Don't worry, Jeremie," I joked, looking into his eyes. "I'll protect you from these wicked people." Jeremie grinned in spite of his embarrassment.

"No thanks, babe," he answered, and Odd whistled. Ignoring him, Jeremie kissed my forehead. "I'll be your protector any day."

"Oh, spare me!" Odd shouted. (Jeremie was right. Odd would never 'get a girl' if he hated love.)

"Did I just here Jeremie, biggest computer geek in the school, who never swears, and is rarely perverted, call his girlfriend 'babe'?" Ulrich said, and so got a pillow in the face, thrown by Jeremie.

"Rarely?" I echoed. "You've never heard him on a sugar high, ranting about Sissy."

"Aelita!" Jeremie cried in laughing outrage. "I've never been on a sugar high."

"Wanna bet?" Yumi countered, smirking. "What about at the second soccer game last year, at break?" Ulrich shuddered.

"That was bad. You, Milly, Odd, Einstein, and Timia, all eating sour gummy worms like no tomorrow."

"Eating what?" I asked.

"Candy," Yumi explained, then glared at Ulrich. "I was _not_ on a sugar high." Odd sniggered.

"Liar," he coughed.

"Are these gummy worms good?" Me, of course. I still had yet to try a lot of food.

"Yeah, sort of," Jeremie answered, watching Yumi, Ulrich and Odd banter back and forth about who was on a sugar high. Suddenly, Jeremie's voice became warmer. "You know what tastes better though?" he asked me, his lips just barely touching my ear.

"What?"

"This," he whispered, and shooting a quick glance at the three still arguing friends, kissed me again. His arms went fully around me, and pulled me against him, deepening the already sweet kiss. Throwing my arms around his neck, I tried to pull him even closer.

_Pwumf! _I pulled away suddenly, as something soft hit my face. Blinking in surprise, I realized it had been a pillow. I looked at Jeremie-he rolled his eyes, smiling. "Yumi chucked it," he told me, very softly. I shot a fake-angry glance at Yumi, who was staring very intently at one of Ulrich's posters. A few seconds later, a pillow hit _her_ in the back of the head. Odd sniggered as Ulrich grabbed the pillow and threw at back at Jeremie and I.

"Oh, no," I heard Jeremie mutter. Looking at him, I saw a positively wicked grin on his face. "Do I see Ulrich protecting Yumi's honor?"

"What was that?" Ulrich asked, though, by the red tinge to his and Yumi's cheeks, he had heard.

"_Love, love, love_!" Odd sang loudly. "_All ya need is love, do do do do do, all ya need is love, everybody-"_

"I should have never lent you that Beatles C.D., Odd," Ulrich told his roommate a few moments later-Odd was pinned down by me, Yumi, and Jeremie and Ulrich, laughing his head off as his best friend tickled him.

"Okay-okay-okay!" Odd half-shouted between laughter. "I give! I give!"

Ten minutes later, we were sitting back down again. Smiling, I looked around me. Odd was playing with his little dog Kiwi, as Yumi, Ulrich and Jeremie discussed Science class. It seemed such a normal scene for my human friends. As I watched Odd tease Kiwi with a rubber ball, and Jeremie try to explain one theory or another to Ulrich, who looked half-asleep, and Yumi, who kept poking Ulrich to keep him awake, I almost forgot who I was. For a few blessed moments, I was human.

Later that day-in the factory.

"I'm sorry, Aelita."

The apology was the last thing I needed. I stood in the elevator with Jeremie, who was looking sad. I felt like crying again.

"Don't apologize when there's nothing to apologize for, Jeremie," I told him, and tried to smile. He didn't smile back, his eyes downcast.

"I know," came the answer. I frowned. It was time that Jeremie should smile again.

As the door opened to the super-calculator, I walked out behind Jeremie, instead of going immediately to the scanners. When he turned around, I took both of his hands in mine, and looked him in the face.

"Jeremie, listen to me. Do you remember the song I sang?" He nodded. "It is truer now than it was then. I love you, Jeremie, and I would do anything to see you smile like you did that night. We will fight evil together, Jeremie, and we will win. And when X.A.N.A. is shut down and Earth is safe, I will never, ever leave your side again." I blinked, and a single tear fell down my cheek. Jeremie reached up to catch it on his finger, and I turned my head so the tip of his finger touched my lips. He smiled.

"Forgive me, Aelita," he half-whispered. The next second, I was in his arms, but he wasn't kissing me. "I love you too. I will think about you every second of every day. I know we can win this. Besides, what is the point of saying goodbye?" He tried to make his voice lighter. "I'll see your face everyday, even if it is virtual. That's a blessing in itself." He leaned down, and kissed me gently. It was almost a sad kiss, but still wonderful. When he finally pulled away, I was slightly dazed, and by the look his eyes, I wasn't the only one.

Jeremie smiled, and this time, it was a true smile. "The quicker you go to the scanner room, the faster I see your face again." I smiled back, and nodded.

"I'll see you later, my love," I said softly, and kissed his cheek. I turned to go, and was half way to the doorway when I stopped. Out of a sudden, strange burst of silliness, I looked at him over my shoulder. "See ya, Einstein." I winked, and stepped into the elevator. The surprised look on his face made him look exactly how he had when I had flirted accidentally with him about his dance costume, the day he asked me to go.

_Only a world apart, as he holds her heart, only a world away, in a world with only day. _

I frowned. Where did that come from?

_Evil arises, but friendship surprises as friends fall in love and see though all disguises. _

A voice from my past sang in my head of love, and as I once more became Aelita of Lyoko, I listened.

Weird, huh? I admit, not my best, but I shall make it up to ye…please review, and if you must flame, please do, but I shall make s'mores tomorrow…


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